EWD2025 - Press release

Summary

This vibrant and emotional gathering showcased wool’s powerful ability to connect generations, inspire innovation, and support well-being with an enriching experience for educators, scientists, artisans, environmentalists, health professionals, and wool lovers alike. Together, the speakers illustrated wool’s enduring value and its evolving role in modern society.

From ancient traditions to modern solutions, the event proved that wool is more than a fibre—it's a force for community, creativity, and care.

Press Release Celebration of European Wool Day 2025 in Rome, Italy

Experience the Power of Wool: A Journey Through Well-being, Sustainability, Culture and Craft

The 5th European Wool Day was held on 6th April 2025 in Rome, Italy highlighting the theme “Wool 4 Health” to celebrate wool with special focus on its use for mental health and well-being. It was a hybrid event with people celebrating in person and viewers following online. The streamed event can be seen here: Streamed 5th European Wool Day 

Hosts

Hosted by the EWE Foundation, GomitoloRosa, and I Casali del Pino, this unique gathering brought together passionate voices from across Europe and beyond to share their expertise, stories, and innovations related to European wool.

GomitoloRosa was our engaging host this year with a deep passion for wool, expert in therapeutic knitting and social solidarity projects. GomitoloRosa with a focus on environmental sustainability recovering Italian wool for making wool yarn demonstrated its wool process practices and their usage in 40 hospitals throughout Italy promoting therapeutic knitting. 

Location

The event was held at Ilaria Venturini Fendi’s organic farm, I Casali del Pino, just on the outskirts of Rome. http://www.icasalidelpino.it/en/ 

Outcome of the event

This year we have experienced that the European Wool Day evolved from an online gathering to a mostly in-person event with an exceptional turnout in-person around 150 enthusiastic participants from various European countries sharing how wool is being reimagined—from its traditional use in textiles to cutting-edge applications in sustainability, wellbeing and education.

Presentations were from 16 countries, including Austria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, UK and guest countries outside Europe including Canada, Nigeria and the USA bringing together a wide range of representatives working in the area of wool, including environmental, heritage, educational and charity organizations, health professionals, wool processors and a wool process machinery provider, crafters, artists and fashion designers, cheese producer, academics, researchers, scientist, writers and entrepreneurs.

We are especially proud of the 7-hour live-streamed event with more than 40 videos and interventions, which connected wool enthusiasts across Europe not only focusing on the main topic of wool for health and well-being, but also on issues such as Wool in Italy and Europe, Wool in Education, and Wool in Fibre crafts providing an enriching experience and opportunity to learn.

The event provided an opportunity to promote recognition of wool, to give visibility to the presenters’ projects on a European scale and also served as a place to connect with likeminded people and explore further possibilities for collaboration. It offered a chance to reconnect with tradition, explore innovation, and be inspired by wool’s potential in the 21st century. The growing potential and interest gaining a momentum after a downturn in recent decades of this raw material in sectors as diverse as health, education and the circular economy was demonstrated.

Program overview 

The event brought together experts, artisans, researchers, and advocates to explore the many dimensions of European wool—its cultural heritage, sustainable processing, and therapeutic benefits. 

Presentations covered topics such as luxury wool production in Italy, innovative uses of wool in bio-composites and organic fertilisers, and the challenges of wool washing. Stories from across Europe highlighted how fibre crafting, especially knitting, is being used as a powerful tool for healing in oncology, trauma recovery, and mental health. Educational initiatives showcased how wool is being used in schools—from Nigeria to Ireland—to teach sustainability, traditional skills and well-being. 

Later sessions explored wool's evolving role across Europe—from sustainable architecture and circular economies to cultural preservation and craft. Presenters showcased innovative applications such as wool in construction, physiotherapy education, and sustainable fashion. Updates from past projects highlighted large-scale wool processing, natural dyeing, fibre crafting with the young generation, and social enterprises supporting well-being. Inspiring community-led initiatives from Spain, Slovenia, Greece, and Croatia emphasized wool’s power to connect tradition with regeneration. 

The event closed with a recap on the European Wool4Health Awards 2024, celebrating the therapeutic, environmental, and social value of wool across the continent.

Workshops, demos, displays and exhibitions

Attendees explored a series of activities including hands-on workshops - knitting and crochet, wet felting, needle felting, weaving and painting with wool - in collaboration with talented artists and craftswomen from Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland and Italy. Demonstrations on spinning and using a drum carded was also conducted. We had many wool products on display along with art and crafts exhibitions.

For additional details please contact: woolday@ewe.network